Because sometimes, God's grace in our lives, starts first with an ugly story.

There’s more than one way to do it…

I went to a church once that was really Not My Thing. The service had songs I couldn’t connect with, a simplistic, dry sort of preach which left me rather irritated and to cap it all, a style of service so alien, I didn’t know if I was standing up or sitting down. To be honest, I wanted to run howling from the building. It wasn’t for me.

But that doesn’t mean God wasn’t there. Or that God’s people weren’t present.

I’m scribbling this really, because lately I’ve noticed some fairly snippy comments online between Christians, aimed at styles of worship they don’t like.

I completely understand; contemporary style worship doesn’t sit well with some people. Others struggle with liturgy or consider anything beyond the Book of Common Prayer to be heresy. Others can’t get their heads around incense or altars or evensong. We’re all different, we all find meaning in, and connect with God in many different ways.

But when it comes to church, I was raised with a simple principle; look for God’s people everywhere. ‘God’s people’ could be the vicar in the frilled frock, or God’s people could be that energetic punky worship leader bouncing on a stage somewhere.

I think style of worship is irrelevant to God. If it’s sincere and based around a need to connect with God, to talk to him, to hear from him…that’s it, that’s all that matters.

The Bible is full of examples – the unlikeliest of unlikelies often ended up leading armies, movements and kingdoms. The reason is because God is not concerned with how we worship, but why we worship.

People after God’s own heart are everywhere. They’re in the teeny little village church with a population of 6 and they’re in the huge mega church with rock worship.

If you look for them, no matter what kind of church, you’ll find them. Their style of worship may not be your cup of tea. But does it matter?